A Gallery Wall for the Beach Bunker

Hi All,

Today I'm going to share my tips on creating a gallery wall.

One thing that I left unfinished in the Beach Bunker is the wall behind the sofa. This just happens to be the wall that you see right when you walk into the living room.  It's a long white wall, so it needs to make a statement.  Instead of one big piece of art, I'm thinking it's perfect for a GALLERY WALL.

The first thing I do when creating a gallery wall is gather my inventory.  I usually start by seeing what frames I have on hand and what can be used or given a new life.  I am also a big fan of using empty beautiful frames that make a statement too.  This time the bargains were too good to pass up on at discount stores and my favorite "go to" the thrift store.  

I also feel it's important for your gallery wall to tell a story.  This particular gallery wall is in our beach house, which is relaxed, fun and colorful.  I created a folder of all my favorite pictures from the first summer our family has spent in our beach house, as well as, a few scenery shots taken from this year.  Just a little reminder of what we were thankful for this year..

I've been curious about the canvas prints from Shutterfly and decided to give it a try. Shutterfly has lots of options for canvas prints under the home decor section.  These come with so many fantastic options it was hard to make my mind up.

The quality was superb...bright, clear and lots of color.

I was also drawn to the family established date in the right hand corner.  It just makes it that much more personal. 

If you are familiar with the FAMILY RULES canvas that is floating around from home decor stores, these are like that, but can be personalized with your family photos.  If you want to personalize a great gift this holiday for your spouse, mom/dad, girlfriend/boyfriend, sister/brother or friend you have to check out these modern canvas options.  Surprisingly, my picture canvas arrived in only 3 days.   
    

I like to place all my memories on the floor and play around with the pattern so that I don't put any unwanted holes in my walls.  Once the pattern is pleasing, I use thumb nails to hang my pictures.  For one the holes are smaller, just incase you want to move it a little or a lot.  I simply place the thumb tack on the back of the picture hanger and press the frame into the wall.  When I am absolutely sure I like the arrangement, I switch the thumb tack out for a sturdy nail.

I also ordered large and small prints from Shutterfly as well.  I have them printed in a matte finish for a professional look.

 Not sure why I was drawn to this cat picture I found at a thrift store...

There was just something about this charming, little, poor cat being stuck in the 70's as he or she sat next to this 10 speed bicycle.  Someone loved this cat so much to frame and matte this moment.  So while it's not specifically "my" moment, it is a moment of remembering that I do have a sentimental side.  So in a way it does fit in the theme, right?  I probably shouldn't even mention that I saw this photo, picked it up and put it back down and left the store.  Only to return the next day with the task to purchase it. And I paid more than $10 dollars for it.  But hey, maybe my kids will grow up one day and talk about this particularly strange cat photo and it will somehow mean something to them too.  Maybe that will happen.

What do you think?

What I love about this gallery is that most of these pictures were from the first summer we had at our beach with a couple of other nautical inspirations.  Our family has taken on lots of NEW TRADITIONS and made many NEW FRIENDS for a lifetime.   It was a great year!

Here is my Gallery Wall Crushes board on Pinterest.  There is tons of inspiration!

So, are you going to try a modern canvas?  What's your gallery story going to be?   What a great idea for a personalized holiday gift!



Thanks to Shutterfly for the canvas print for this post.

From my HOUSE to your HOUSE, HAPPY HUNTING!

Are you looking for ideas to add to your decor?  Are you stuck in a rut and need some fresh ideas? Let me HUNT for you!  Email me at HousebyHolly@yahoo.com for a consult.

You can also follow me on HOUZZ.COM

And as always, I love to hear from MY READERS!  Please leave me comments, post projects you have tried and feel free to ask me questions.

Linking to: Three Mango Seeds, Nifty Thrifty Things